Spleen elastography in patients with Systemic sclerosis.

Systemic sclerosis (SSc) is an autoimmune inflammatory connective tissue disease. It is characterized by varying degrees of fibrosis of the skin and internal organs. Tissue fibrosis is the final phase of a complex biological process of immune activation and vascular damage. The spleen is one of the organs thought to be involved in a systemic fibrosing process. Yet, there is a lack of research that provides evidence about splenic involvement in patients with SSc through objective instrumental techniques. Ultrasound elastography is a modern method which detects changes in the stiffness and elasticity of different organs. To assess the elasticity and stiffness of the spleen in healthy subjects and patients with SSc, the study included 34 patients with SSc and 35 healthy volunteers. Point SWE spleen elastography was performed on all participants in the two study groups through an Esaote MyLab 9 eXP with a C1-8 iQ appleprobe transducer. The mean age in the SSc patient group was 47.35 ± 11.48 years vs. 46.20 ± 14.55 years in the healthy controls, with no significant age difference, p = 0.717. The mean Body Mass Index (BMI) in the SSc patient group was 22.42 ± 2.12 kg/m2 vs. 24.23 ± 4.29 kg/m2 in the healthy control group with no significant difference, p = 0.410. Among the SSc patients, 18(53%) were with dcSSc and 16 (47%) with lcSSc. The mean disease duration was 59 ± 28 months, ranging between 18 and 118 months. Spleen stiffness median was significantly higher in the SSc patient group (3.19 m/s) in comparison with the healthy controls (2.40 m/s), p < 0.001. Spleen size was normally distributed and did not differ significantly between the SSc patients (105.84 ± 7.87 mm) and the healthy controls (104.16 ± 8.99 mm), p = 0.410. A significantly higher mean of spleen stiffness was observed in the dcSSc patients (3.38 ± 0.20 m/s) in comparison with the lcSSc group (2.81 ± 0.38 m/s), p < 0.001. Spleen size did not show a significant association with the type of SSc. Spleen size in the dcSSc subgroup had a mean value of 103.45 ± 5.56 mm vs. 108.51 ± 9.30 in the lcSSc subgroup, p = 0.071. pSWE is an objective, reliable, and easy-to-implement method for detecting early fibrous changes in the spleen in patients with SSc. A good approach in patients with SSc could be the search for similar processes in other internal organs, such as the liver and thyroid gland.

[Treatment of heart rhythm disorders with verapamil]. / Lechenie na niakoi narusheniia na surdechniia ritum s verapamil.

The results from the administration of verapamyl (isoptine--Knoll GFR) to 30 patients with disturbed heart rhythm are presented, that are grouped as follows: supraventricular paroxysmal tachycardia (SPI)--10; auricular fibrillation (AFi)--8; auricular flutter (AFl)--7; supraventricular extrasystoles (SE)--4, and ventricular extrasystoles (VE)--1. Generally, very good results were obtained, the best effect established with SPT and AFi--rhythm restored in 70 per cent, 50 per cent respectively. Improvement was not attained in a total of 26,7 per cent, adverse effects--hypotony and AV-block were established in 6,66%.

[Effect of using a mexitil preparation in cardiac rhythm disorders]. / Efekt ot prilozhenieto na preparata meksitil pri narushenie na surdechniia ritum.

The results from the treatment of cardiac rhythm disorders with mexitil are reported: 26 cases with ventricular extrasystoles, 3--with ventricular paroxysmal tachycardia, 2--with supraventricular paroxysmal tachycardia, 1--with auricular extra-systoles, 7--with combined rhythm disorders in patients with ischemic heart diseases mainly. Very good treatment effect was observed in 24 patients, good--in 7, insignificant--in 3 and no effect--in 2 patients. Mexitil was concluded to be an antiarrhythmic drug with a good tolerance and well manifested therapeutic effect, mainly in ventricular rhythm disorders.

[Recognition of the depth of tumor extent in the cerebral hemispheres by electroencephalographic signs using a computer]. / Raspoznavanie glubiny raspolozheniia opukholei bol'shikh polusharii golovnogo mozga po élektroéntsefalograficheskim priznakam s pomoshch'iu EVM

To obtain electroencephalographic criteria for in-depth occurrence of supratentorial tumours the mathematical theory of image recognition has been used. A map of electroencephalographic signs has been drawn up and 182 patients were coded electroencephalographically. Six signs were obtained with the help of the linear minimax algorhythm and in constructing diagnostic combinations of sign gradations--20 syndromes were fixed with whose help it becomes possible to recognize the depth of the tumour occurrence. Both rules were applied in an examination sequence of 51 EEG. The reliability of the results is as high as 0.95.

[Comparative 131-cesium scintigraphic and electrocardiographic studies of patients following the acute phase of myocardial infarct]. / Sravnitelni stsintigrafski s 131tsezii i elektrokardiografski prouchvaniia pri bolni sled ostrata faza na miokardniia infarkt

The determination of the extent and site of morphological changes in heart muscle, while still living, after a healed myocardial infarction is of a doubtless theoretical and practical interest. Certain possibilities, in that respect, are revealed by the myocardium scintigraphy with131 cesium. The authors present the results from the scintigraphic and electrocardiographic investigations of 45 patients with a past history of myocardial infarcticn examined in a period of 1 to 6 months post the infarction.